It'll be a mystery to myself why I liked "Fonte da Saudade". Usually the talk about movies relates more with what one felt rather than what one
hasn't felt. But I must take a different route here. I wasn't bored by the picture, neither felt uninterested. Most of the time curiosity took over me in
trying to find a relevance to life, to relationships, or some input as three female characters self-analyze their current life status and their past as
children full of dreams. It wasn't a happy story, it's mostly a downer but without objectionable moments or bad things. It's very lukewarm, but let's just
say the warm bits conquer over the coldness of some things.
Marco Altberg's "Fonte da Saudade" brings the short stories of three young women, all played by Lucélia Santos, reflecting about the life their
dealing with, at the same time they remember their relationship with their fathers (all played by Thales Pan Chacon) and how those dreamy childhood
moments interfered with their lives in the pursuit of happiness or whatever's being missing. "Daddy Issues: The Movie" should be its title, but it would
be too mean spirited.
1) Bárbara is a promising writer living an unhappy marriage with a careless man (Paulo Betti) and she has an affair with another (José Wilker) who
really likes her, but she simply doesn't feel anything for him. Her memories of a caring dad who devoted all of his attention to her (as a solo parent)
is something that doesn't help her move forward in life - but close. 2) Guida is also married but she doesn't trust her husband (Claúdio Marzo) which makes
of her a very inquisitive person who annoys her man. She tries to find something different in her life, hinting at a possible affair just to find the
pleasure that's missing in her life. Dreams and memories of her dad, a somewhat irresponsible but loving parent come and go to give some direction to her.
3) Alba's case is a more complex as she's an early adult with the mind of a child and with countless pyschological problems that leave her mother (Norma Bengell)
crazed and wanting to put her in a pyschiatric hospital. She lives in a world of her own, imagining things and her dad is just a faded memory - it's best to
leave him out of description as well.
It's hard to find a deep relevance into those stories, their significance or even some psychoanalysis into those women and such scenarios. Its small
glimpses on sexual liberation are too thin since the overall theme of the film revolves on pessimistic realities, idealizations of a past that weren't so
good, as if the ideal future for women's life would be to find a partner as good as their fathers. Freud explains, it's often said but we're far removed
from pyschotherapy just as the silent therapist consulted by Guida. Perhaps the mystery of it all is what conquered me, and it might bring you to this film.
Plus, Lucélia Santos finds the perfect tone to each character she plays - but my favorite is Guida, as the story brings some humor to her jealousy and
interrogations on her husband.
Silly to say but guess I liked it cause I didn't hate it, didn't dislike it and didn't find it a waste of time. Maybe with some thoughtful resolutions
to connect the whole we'd get a more impressive story to see. 6/10.
